Guides for small contractors

The SBA 8(a) Business Development program explained: eligibility (ownership, social and economic disadvantage limits), the nine-year term, sole-source and set-aside contracts, and how to apply for free.

When a government job needs a bid bond, how much it's for, what a surety looks at, and how bid bonds differ from payment and performance bonds.

How to write a government capability statement: the 6 sections every one needs, a sample layout, common mistakes, and a free generator that builds yours in two minutes.

How prevailing wages work on federal construction jobs: reading the wage determination, pricing your bid around it, and weekly certified payroll.

What kinds of roofing jobs federal agencies buy, who can bid, what the solicitations ask for, and how a small roofing company can win its first one.

Where federal, state and local construction jobs are posted, how to search them by trade and location, and how to tell which ones are worth bidding.

What small businesses pay for help with federal bids in 2026: free APEX counselors, freelancers, bid software, flat-fee services ($495 to $2,950) and proposal consultants, compared.

The electrical work federal agencies buy, what electrical solicitations require, and how small electrical contractors can start winning federal jobs.

The heating, cooling and plumbing work federal agencies buy, the requirements specific to HVAC bids, and how small mechanical contractors get started.

The GSA Multiple Award Schedule explained for small businesses: how it works, the requirements, the application steps in eOffer, timeline, fees, and when it's worth it versus bidding open contracts.

How small cleaning companies find, price and bid federal janitorial contracts: NAICS 561720, Service Contract Act wages, square-foot pricing with a worked example, and the mistakes that lose bids.

How small landscaping companies win federal grounds maintenance contracts: NAICS 561730, Service Contract Act wages, pricing mowing by the acre with a worked example, seasonal schedules and common mistakes.

How small security companies bid federal guard contracts: NAICS 561612, Service Contract Act guard wages, post hours and relief factors, a worked pricing example, licensing and the mistakes that lose bids.

A step-by-step guide for small trade contractors: finding the job, reading the notice, pricing it and submitting a bid that doesn't get thrown out.

How small businesses get government contracts in 2026: register in SAM.gov, pick NAICS codes, find bids, use set-asides, price correctly, submit and win your first federal job. Every step, with links.

A line-by-line guide to the wage determination attached to federal construction bids: construction types, rate codes, fringes, missing trades and modifications.

SBA's HUBZone program explained: the principal office and 35% employee residency rules, the 10% price evaluation preference, set-asides, and how to apply.

How HVAC companies price federal preventive maintenance contracts: Service Contract Act vs Davis-Bacon, equipment inventories, PM hours per unit, a worked example, service calls and repair line items.

The current federal micro-purchase threshold is $15,000, with $2,000 for construction and $2,500 for services under wage laws. The simplified acquisition threshold is $350,000. What each means for small businesses.

Federal buyers ask about past performance, but first-time bidders still win. What counts as experience, which jobs to target first, and how to present a short track record.

Prevailing wage explained for contractors: what it means, federal Davis-Bacon and Service Contract Act rates, state prevailing wage laws, how to read a wage determination, fringe benefits, overtime and certified payroll. With a free calculator.

How a small contractor registers in SAM.gov to bid federal jobs: what you need before you start, each step, how long it takes, and how to keep it active.

How to get SDVOSB or VOSB certified through SBA's VetCert program: who qualifies, documents, timeline, and the VA and governmentwide set-asides it opens.

What the SF-1442 construction bid form is, which blocks the contractor fills in, and the small errors that get bids rejected.

How to fill out the SF 1449 block by block: the five blocks you complete, what the government fills in, and the mistakes that get offers rejected.

How to answer a federal request for quotation on the SF-18: the blocks you complete, what your quote does and doesn't commit you to, and how to stand out on a small job.

The SF-24 Bid Bond form for federal construction bids: when it's required, how much the penal sum is, who can be your surety, how to fill it in, and the errors that make a bid nonresponsive.

When federal construction contracts need SF-25 performance bonds and SF-25A payment bonds, how much they cover, when they're due after award, and how small contractors get bonded.

What the SF-30 Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is, the three ways to acknowledge an amendment, which blocks you sign, and the mistake that gets bids thrown out.

What a set-aside is, the main types (small business, HUBZone, women-owned, veteran-owned, 8(a)), how to know if you qualify, and why they matter for small contractors.

What a Sources Sought notice is, how answering one can get a job set aside for small businesses, and what to put in a short, effective response.

Where the VA posts HVAC work, how SDVOSB/VOSB set-asides work, wage determinations, site visits, bonding thresholds and mistakes to avoid.

A CAGE code is a five-character ID for companies that work with the federal government. How U.S. businesses get one for free through SAM.gov, how to find yours, and how to look up any company's CAGE code.

The UEI (Unique Entity ID) is the 12-character number that identifies your business to the federal government. How to get one free in SAM.gov, where to find yours, and how it differs from the old DUNS number and CAGE code.

How to get SBA Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and EDWOSB certification: ownership and control rules, the EDWOSB income and net worth limits, how to apply for free, and what set-asides it opens.